Kiss The Cook
by Naoko Asakura
Summary: Now that all the Christmas Shopping is out of the way, the Tendos and the Saotomes are getting ready for the annual Christmas party... Who let Akane help with the cooking! RxA
1. An Arguement

Kiss The Cook  
  
By Naoko Asakura  
  
Disclaimer: I have no ownership to the Manga/Anime of Ranma ½... I thank Rumiko-Sama for making a wonderful series and wish her good luck with Inuyasha, as it is one of the top-selling stories in all corners of the world ^_^.  
  
Author's Note: Ah! I'm so happy ^_^ My love for Ranma ½ has been rekindled to a blazing fire of giddy obsession! Hee hee... This is my first ever story for Ranma, and I hope it turns out good. I liked the idea, and so I'm going to write it! This one goes out to my favorite paring in the entire series, Ranma and Akane. Ranma to Akane... Kawaii desu ne! =^_^=  
  
Here it is! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 1: A Pure And Honest Christmas  
  
++++++++++++++++++  
  
Snow fell gently upon the town of Nermia. The night was chilly, but not painfully cold as the past days and nights. There was no wind either, and so night owls were happy just to be able to enjoy the fresh air. The streets were shining with the glow of Christmas lights strung from lamppost to lamppost.  
  
. ...Needless to say, the town was basked in the glory of Christmas cheer. .  
  
Of the many people out that night, Akane Tendo, bundled up in a light blue jacket and a white scarf, walked the street, looking in the windows of the shops with a small amount of worry in her soft brown eyes. "Onee-chan..." She said quietly, making the woman beside her look at her. Kasumi Tendo, the eldest daughter of the family smiled at her younger sister. "Where are we going to find all of this stuff?" Akane asked as her eyebrows creased. Kasumi's smile only broadened.  
  
"Daijoubu, Akane-chan, we'll be home before late." She reassured. Akane nodded and continued staring into the window of the shop. Kasumi was not stupid. noticed the endless battle going on inside her sister.  
  
"But that's not why you're worrying, is it?" She asked in her soft tone. Akane looked back at Kasumi, her eyebrows raised in surprise as a soft blush adorned her cheeks. Kasumi looked behind her sister into the store of interest. "Go Ahead, Akane-chan... I'll take care of the rest of the shopping." She said kindly. The small grimace seemed to be instantly wiped off by that comment.  
  
"Hontou? I mean, what if you have too much to carry? I won't be there to help..." Akane said apologetically. Kasumi only shook her head.  
  
"You still need to find the perfect present for Ranma-kun. That's definitely going to take up more time than you think it will. Besides-" She stopped short, her serene smile being replaced by a slightly crafty smirk. "I'm sure I could find a nice strong man to help me." She said, a twinkle in her merrily narrowed eyes.  
  
"Onee-chan... Scary..." Akane murmured as she slowly inched away from her scheming sister. "Thank you so much for this, Onee-chan. I'll never forget it!" Akane said suddenly, hugging her sister. Kasumi had reverted to her pleasant self and waved a hand.  
  
"You'll still help me cook for the party tomorrow, ok?" She asked. Akane blanched. If word got out the she were helping in the culinary department, the party her sister had worked so hard on planning would be...  
  
"Ok! You can count on me!" She heard herself say in a confident voice... A simple act for the retired "actress". "Ja ne!" She called over her shoulder as she dashed down the road. Inside the store that Kasumi and Akane were looking at, a certain pigtailed boy was watching the figure of his fiancé disappear into the sea of people.  
  
"Now where is SHE goin' off to?" Ranma wondered, still holding the book on moxibustion in his hand. A familiar tune played in the background of the store, only to be ignored by the bustle of shoppers.  
  
Tsumetai shiuchi-suru tabi mune itamu kedo ne Ima ijou MAJI ni naru made Kuchibiru mo sotto oazuke*  
  
...With a shy smile gracing his lips, he knew that he was the only one listening to the song.  
  
.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
.  
  
Akane looked around her at the shops that lined the street. "I want to find him something-" She stopped as her eyes landed on a display case inside a store. "...Perfect..." She finished, her voice filled with soft awe. Her brain told her that what had been perfect would empty her wallet. "Demo, I don't care." She thought, marching into the store with determination that could rival her fiancé's. "All I want is a pure and honest Christmas. Just once." She thought, soon after walking out of the store again. A small bag was clutched tight in her hands as she walked to a bench.  
  
"I'll just sit for a while." She thought, plopping down with a sigh of relief. The stars were so clear, regardless of the sparkling lights around her. She smiled as picked Orion out with little effort. "Okaasan." She whispered to no one. She remembered when she and her mother would sit with each other on the porch in weather like this and pick out constellations. Her thoughts were interrupted when something hit her head softly. She looked up into a pair of blue eyes and flushed lightly.  
  
"Yo, Akane"  
  
She murmured a greeting back to him as he sat down beside her. She cast a glance in his direction and saw that he was interested in what was in the bag. And sure enough, "What's in the bag?" He questioned. Akane's blush before could have been easily been blamed on the cold of the night, but the state that she was in now could only be blamed on her embarrassment.  
  
"N-Nothing." She stammered, clutching the bag tighter to herself. The pigtailed boy sighed in disappointment and proceeded to fold his arms behind his head. There was silence for a while. "A...A present." She finally blurted out. Ranma raised an eyebrow. He could definitely see the redness in her cheeks, but decided not to rag on her about it.  
  
"Who's it for?" He asked. There was silence again. "Akane," He started, a frown playing on his features. Akane looked at him, her eyes wide and questioning. He flushed, but the grimace never left him. "Could it be... there's someone you like?" He asked, earning a hiccup from his uncute fiancé.  
  
"N-No!" She said defensively. He looked at her with accusing eyes. She cracked under his stare and sighed heavily. "Ok, there is." She mumbled, averting her eyes to the street. Ranma's eyebrow's shot up in surprise. Akane smiled warmly at the mere thought of him.  
  
"He's so nice to me... not very polite, but nice. He's cute, and he works hard to meet his goals." She said dreamily. Her voice was almost inaudible, but Ranma picked it up. It felt like his blood was beginning to boil. "He doesn't get the best grades in the world, and he can be a complete dolt at times... but he's sharp as a tack when it matters." Akane said with a smile that could rival Kasumi's very best. Ranma swallowed hard.  
  
"J-Jeez Akane... I'd just like to say one thing." He murmured, earning her gaze. He felt jealousy swell up within him... Just knowing that some other guy caused the blush on Akane's angelic face made his whole being angry. "If you're trying to get a guy like that," He took a deep breath, prematurely regretting his following actions, "Ganbatte." He said flatly. Akane's eyes narrowed to angry slits as she stood up.  
  
"I don't see YOU trying to win anyone's heart!" She said indignantly. Ranma turned scarlet and clenched his fists.  
  
"Baka ne! I am so!" He shot back. Akane's eyes widened, but she still put up her guard. "She's beautiful and strong and brimming with confidence! She gets GOOD grades!" He said, folding his arms across his chest. "She's not very graceful, but that's what makes me happy! She's thrown herself into almost all my battles just to help ME out, and I lo..." He stopped short, his chest rising and falling rapidly due to his speech. Akane's shoulders shook with intense emotion as she balled her fists at her sides. "A- Akane..." He trailed off, losing the flare instantaneously as he reached out a hand. She knocked it away with surprising agility and looked up at him.  
  
The site was not pretty.  
  
Her eyes were red and puffy as tears streaked down her anger-flushed cheeks. She stomped past him, not bothering to hit him or insult him. "O- Oi, Akane!" He said a bit louder. He turned quickly to grab her shoulder, but she wheeled around at him, her teeth bared in fury.  
  
"RANMA NO BAKA!!!" She yelled, slapping him hard across the face with her free hand. With that, she ran into the ever-moving crowd. Ranma stared at her trail even after she had left. A glowing handprint formed on his confused and hurt face.  
  
"Akane." He whispered, tears stinging his own eyes. He bowed his head and ran in the opposite direction. "AKANE NO BAKA!" He yelled, punching a nearby tree. He felt hot streaks of salt pour down his face as he leapt from roof to roof. He knew that this was a more serious fight than they'd ever had before...After all, it had left them both crying in the end...  
  
. Meanwhile... .  
  
Akane ran across the town with the speed of a distraught martial artist. Her head was bent as she stared at the ground that disappeared under her feet. She couldn't even think straight she was so angry. A sudden impact brought her mind back with a jump-start as she felt her rear come into painful contact with the ground. She would have yelled at the offender, had it not been Ryoga Hibiki.  
  
"Akane-san!" He cried out... he had fallen facing the sad girl. Akane opened her mouth, trying to vouch for her tears. No words came out as she lunged forward.  
  
"R-Ryoga-kun!!!" She sobbed into his mustard colored shirt. Ryoga felt his heart wrench with every sob that came from the petite Tendo girl. "G-Gomen nasai!" She hiccupped in between words. "Its just..." She cut herself off and sobbed harder. She cried "RANMA NO BAKA!!!!" Over and over, her voice muffled. Ryoga sighed heavily and lifted her with ease.  
  
"Daijoubu, Akane-san. I'll get you home." He whispered comfortingly. He looked into the distance and could see a figure leaping over buildings with agility rivaled by no one. "Saotome Ranma..." He muttered under his breath, taking off after the blip moving across the sky. He felt hopeless following Ranma to the Tendo Dojo, but since he couldn't find his way out of a paper bag, he had no choice. He sighed heavily and realized that Akane had fallen asleep with her shopping bag cradled in her arms.  
  
"Ranma no baka..." She sighed in her sleep, her face stained with the salt of her tears. Ryoga blushed furiously and subconsciously pulled her closer.  
  
"That's right Akane-san. Ranma no baka." He thought, smiling like a fool. . . .  
  
Meanwhile, Ranma, oblivious to his follower, had long stopped his tears. He was heading to one of his favorite thinking spots that was near the dojo. It was a clump of trees in the back yard that hid him from everyone else. If the dojo was a place that he couldn't go because people occupied it, then that was his secondary place to let out some steam after a fight with Akane.  
  
"Jeez! She didn't have to go and tell me about this guy that she likes!" He thought, landing soundlessly upon one of the bare branches. He sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands. "Why me???" He wondered aloud, feeling his guilt trip reach its pinnacle. A soft thud broke Ranma out of his thoughts as he peeked through the branches to see Ryoga standing in the back yard. "Ryoga." Ranma growled, cracking his knuckles when he saw his fiancé sleeping soundly in the lost boy's arms. It was then that he heard Ryoga speak...  
  
"Akane-san," He said, gently shaking his arms for her to wake up. Akane's eyes fluttered open and she mumbled softly.  
  
"Ranma?" She murmured, looked around. Ryoga sighed and shook his head. She was drunk with fatigue.  
  
"Akane-san, can you point to me where your room is? I really don't know what else I can do." He asked nervously. He didn't want to let it slip that he knew exactly where her room was... It was probably the only place he knew to get to on his own. Groggily, Akane pointed to a window with lace drapery over them. Ryoga nodded solemnly and hopped up there with practiced skill. Ranma felt his chest tighten as he watched the pair slip through Akane's window.  
  
"Ryoga, you're one dead pig." He muttered under his breath, hopping down from the tree and walking into the house.  
  
"Ah, Ranma-kun... Okairi!"  
  
It had been Tendo Soun that said the greeting, for Genma was deeply engrossed in the fathers' game of shogi. Nabiki waved idly, not bothering to turn away from the Christmas television special she had been watching. Kasumi was no where to be found, and neither was...  
  
"Akane." Ranma dug his stubby nails into his palms as he stomped up the stairs into the hallway where their bedrooms were all lined up. He passed his own room, Kasumi's room and Nabiki's room before he finally found himself standing at the front of his iniizuke's room. The door had been personalized with a nameplate in the shape of a duck. Ranma didn't want to just bust in, or else Akane would probably want to break in that new mallet she bought the other day... He shuddered at the thought. Quietly, he slid the door to Akane's room open and shuffled in. He looked around the room as he closed it behind him soundlessly.  
  
"No sign of Ryoga," He thought, his eyes trailing to Akane's bed, where he could see a heap moving slowly up and down. "Akane's here." He said to himself, sighing in relief. He crossed over to her bed, where she was still in her day clothes. "The dumb ass... He could've taken her shoes off before he put her in bed." He grumbled. He gingerly unlaced each of Akane's white sneakers and placed them on the floor at the end of the bed. It was then that he heard her speak.  
  
"Ranma..." She mumbled, almost inaudible. Ranma's face glowed vermilion. She flipped over, her hair tousled by the sudden movement. Ranma inched over to her nervously on his knees. Finally, he was at the front of the bed, waiting nervously for his fiancé's next words. "Ranma... no baka..." She muttered. Ranma blinked in surprise, then his brow furrowed.  
  
"Kawaiikune... getting me all worked up over nothing!" He thought, his heart filled with disappointment. He stood and walked briskly to the door, leaving in the blink of an eye.  
  
"...Aishiteru..."  
  
And Akane rolled onto her stomach.  
  
Ranma walked down the hall, a towel slung over his shoulder. "There's nothing like a bath after being out in the freezing cold for no reason." He thought, a slight frown still adorning his face. He opened the door to the furo and sighed happily. He didn't know why he felt so at peace in the bath... maybe because it was where he spent most of his time. It was either a scalding teapot from Nabiki, or a nice warm bath in the furo for free. He filled the empty bath up with hot water of a comfortable temperature and leapt in without so much as a splash.  
  
The water blanketed him in heat as he felt his eyes droop lazily. "I just wish I could fall asleep in here." He stated aloud. He looked out the window into the clear night sky and smiled. "It would have been nicer if this were summer." He thought as sank deeper into the water. He sighed through his nose and closed his eyes. It was then that someone had broken his tranquility. His eyes opened, a newfound annoyance within the blue pools. He remained still in hopes that nobody would notice them if they happened to be looking for him. A figure moved behind the screen that he couldn't make out.  
  
"Not Shampoo or Ucchan." He thought, taking note of the person's short hair. He swallowed hard as a blush formed on his cheeks. It had to be Nabiki... Akane was asleep!  
  
The figure walked slowly, tripping once or twice over their own feet. It was steamy in the furo, but Ranma knew instantly who it was as soon as they rounded the corner, coming out from the screen. "Akane..." He thought, pinching his nosebleed. She must've been too out of it at the moment. "Kuso! If she finds me in here I'm done for!" He thought, ducking under the water. Akane, meanwhile was rubbing her eyes groggily. A voice outside the door, namely Kasumi's, reached her ears.  
  
"Akane-chan!!! Dinner is ready!"  
  
Akane sighed heavily and dragged herself out of the bathroom. As soon as she shut the door, Ranma rose, shaking the water from his hair. "That was close." He thought, smiling with relief. As if on cue, the door opened and Akane came back in. "Eep!" Ranma squeaked in fear as Akane saw him. She flushed, but never failed to pull out her new mallet. "W-Wait! I was in here first!" Ranma wanted to protest. Too bad he was only able to get out, "W-Wai-" Before Akane slammed him through the wall of the house.  
  
"Hentai!" She yelled angrily, stomping back down the stairs. Ranma's body twitched as he exhaled painfully. He felt the lumps on his head rise as he stood up.  
  
"Kawaiikune." He grumbled, not fully realizing that he was bare naked until Kasumi walked up the stairs.  
  
"Oh my!"  
  
The oldest Tendo daughter's hand flew to her mouth, a light blush on her cheeks. Ranma groaned and ran back through the new hole in the bathroom wall. He soon ran back out with a white towel covering his lower body parts.  
  
"As if things couldn't get worse!" He thought, slamming the door to his and his father's room closed. He grumbled as more frustration built up within him. "Why does everything happen to me?!" He yelled into the emptiness of his room. Sadly, walls couldn't talk... and in bitterness, Ranma slipped into his red Chinese shirt.  
  
"Oi, Ranma-kun! Dinner's ready!" Soun called from downstairs. Ranma grumbled especially loud so the family downstairs would acknowledge him. He tramped loudly down the stairs and plopped none too gracefully into his usually spot beside Akane. As soon as he had begun eating, his azure eyes darted to Akane, whose cheeks were stained a light pink. She looked calm enough... sipping her green tea silently. In the dim light of the living room, he could've almost admitted that she was cute.  
  
"Feh... Why do I care if she loves some other guy?" He told himself. "He probably won't love her back because she's a kawaiikune, sexless, violent, kitchen-wrecking tom..." His thoughts trailed as she looked at him, her velvety eyes glowing under soft yellow light. Her blue-black hair framed her face perfectly as he watched her soft lips move. He was brought back to reality when she said his name louder.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane yelled, her brow slightly furrowed in frustration. He blinked, feeling vulnerable all of the sudden.  
  
"Wh-What?!" He choked out. His face was so painfully red; it was a wonder that nobody noticed. Akane looked at him with wonder for a moment, and then sighed heavily.  
  
"Onegai, pass the soy sauce." She said flatly. Ranma nodded, his shaking hand grabbing the bottle of sepia liquid within his fingers. He felt a tingle of something pleasantly shocking as he gave it to her. She nodded in thanks to him, turning back to her food. Ranma sat there, staring at his plate for a while before a slightly wrinkled hand crept "stealthily" onto his plate, seeking some of his pork cutlet.  
  
"Oyaji!" He yelled angrily, swatting his father's hand away from his plate. The middle-aged man feigned sadness.  
  
"You should learn to respect your elders, my son!" He cried dramatically. Ranma rolled his eyes and ate the food that his father desired. He was already too deep in his own thoughts to hear his father groan in disappointment. "Paper?" He thought suddenly, realizing that he had been holding onto a slip of paper that was neatly folded into a square. "What the-" Then it dawned on him... Akane must've slipped it into his hand while he was giving her the soy sauce. Gingerly, he opened it reading the neatly printed kanji his fiancé wrote out:  
  
"Ranma,  
  
Please meet me in the dojo after dinner.  
  
-Akane"  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow. Why couldn't she have just asked him that instead of using her note passing skill? He saw Akane looking at him out of the corner of his eye. She must've realized that she was caught because she blushed and looked down at her food.  
  
"What's she up to?" His mind asked all throughout the rest of what would have been a peaceful dinner. He couldn't blame anyone except for the girl at his side for such brain strain, and so as soon as he was finished eating, he stood from his place.  
  
"S'cuse me." He said, loud enough so that everyone could hear. As soon as he had exited the living room, he bolted out the door and to the dojo. He chewed his bottom lip in anticipation as he sat cross-legged in the middle of the empty dojo. "Maybe I should sleep in here instead of with Oyaji." He mused, feeling warmth wash over him. His father would steal his blankets in the winter, commenting about how a poor old man should be kept warm in the bitter cold. Ranma sighed heavily and cradled his chin in his hand. Suddenly, the doors of the dojo opened, a timid Akane standing in the threshold.  
  
"Ko-Konbanha" She stammered. Ranma raised an eyebrow questioning her sudden change in attitude towards him.  
  
"Konbanha, Akane." He said simply. Akane stood there, looking like she was trying to say something. "Could you close the door? The cold air's all rushing in... He said, making the shorthaired girl jump slightly. She closed the door and sunk to the floor.  
  
"I..." She started, looking if she were about to swallow some kind of horrible medicine. "I'm sorry I malleted you." She finally spat out. The apology hung heavy in the air, and the shock was apparent in Ranma's eyes.  
  
He was just about to ask her why she was so quick to apologize, but decided to refrain from that. "Daijoubu..." He said quietly. Akane sighed heavily, running a delicate hand through her hair. "Akane?" Ranma said... he could hear his own voice shaking with timid ness.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"I-I'm sorry too... for just goin' off on you like that back there." He said quietly. His voice echoed over and over in his ears as his blush grew deeper.  
  
Akane, if possible, was shocked even more than Ranma had been when she apologized. The GREAT Saotome Ranma... apologizing?! And sounding sincere non the less! Her jaw was slack and her eyes wide. Ranma, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, cleared his throat.  
  
"I'm not a circus freak, y'know." He said pointedly. Akane closed her mouth, laughing in embarrassment. Tension fell upon them again. "So..." Ranma swallowed hard, tugging gently at the collar of his shirt, "Do you forgive me?" He asked, feeling curious despite the biting fear within him. Akane smiled at him genuinely and nodded.  
  
"Daijoubu, Ranma." She said quietly. Ranma himself grinned back... not his usual cocky smirk, but an honest to god smile. "...Do you think we should go back?" Akane asked, her voice sounding normal. Ranma shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
"Its warmer in here than it is in the house." He said pointedly. Akane nodded in agreement. "Do you just want to... Y'know, talk?" Ranma asked, fear taking him again. Akane's eyes brightened and she nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"I'd like that." She said. . . . And so Ranma and Akane talked the rest of the night, happy that they had finally reconciled their differences... That time.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
To Be Continued!!!!!  
  
Did you like it? If you did, please, write me a review! Hell, even if you don't like it, send me a review! ^_^  
  
So why "Kiss The Cook"? You'll see! :D  
  
Naoko-chan 


	2. Sleeping Arrangments

Kiss The Cook

By Naoko Asakura

Disclaimer: Well, I wish I owned the Ranma Nibunnoichi series... I could have been: a.) A really great Manga artist, b.) One of the richest women in Japan, and c.) I would be able to draw more of Ranma and the group! ^_^ But sadly... *sigh* this is not how it was meant to be. I will boldly go as a fan fiction author! Yay!!!

Author's Note: Ok, now that that's done... HURRAY! Thank you so much for reviewing, everyone! *hugs* I'm going to try and write more of this as soon as possible! Thank you for all your suggestions and comments! Yay!

Here It Is!

Chapter Two:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was six o'clock.

The sun was just peeking out from behind Mount Fuji when Kasumi stood on the porch, already decked out in her Christmas apron and a light blue dress with lilies embroidered across the bottom. She smiled serenely as she swept the light film of snow from the wooden deck. It wasn't very cold... just cold enough so that you could see the faint cloud of steam as she breathed.

"Well, I'm all done here!" She exclaimed pleasantly as she walked back inside. She set her broom against the wall in the kitchen and made her way upstairs. Reaching her youngest sister's room, she knocked lightly.

"Akane-chan? Its time for your morning jog!" She addressed through the door. There was no answer. "Akane-chan?" Kasumi opened the door slowly, looking around the room.

Akane's bedroom was not messy... it just wasn't immaculately clean either. It had a homely sense to it. With a small, wooden desk against the wall where she could look out at the back yard, pictures of her and her friends in silver frames, her soft already made bed...

"Hm..." Kasumi mumbled thoughtfully as she took note of the empty bed. She sighed heavily and walked to the window. She could see the dojo, looking calm and beautiful covered in snow. "It's a wonder how none of Ranma's friends come around at this time of day." She thought, still staring at the dojo. "And Akane isn't here... where could she have go-" She stopped short, realization passing through her eyes.

Akane, nor Ranma, had returned to the house last night.

Kasumi grinned and laughed softly. "Ara!" She exclaimed under her breath as exited the room.

*

*

Meanwhile...

*

*

Akane woke to cold. Her back was freezing for some reason. Grumbling, she pulled away from what she was leaning against, and saw that it was a door. "A door?" She thought, frowning slightly. She was in the dojo, she realized. In the center of the dojo, a certain pigtailed boy lay curled into a ball on the floor.

"Did we really talk here all night?" She wondered aloud. She saw Ranma stiffen, and then relax. With a small and tender smile, she crawled over to him on her hands and knees. He slept there, a look of pure calm on his usually tense face. His eyebrows arched softly instead of jutting inward like they usually did, and his lips were slightly parted. The rise and fall of his chest was the only evidence that he was even alive.

Akane laughed silently as Ranma grumbled in his sleep. "Ranma no baka." She stated, patting his head gently. It was a wonder he was still asleep... He was usually awake before her in the winter. It was also odd that he wasn't awake when Akane patted him on the head... He had been a very light sleeper since the failed wedding.

.

.

"Kawaiikune."

.

.

Akane's eyes widened and she literally jumped away. Ranma only rolled onto his other side, facing her in his sleep. She saw that his nose twitched every once in a while.

"Kawaii desu ne..." She murmured, a soft blush adorning her cheeks. The pigtailed boy stretched from his fetal position, looking almost cat-like. She giggled once more as she sat on the dojo floor, her hands splayed out behind her. At this, Ranma's eyes finally fluttered open. "Ohayo, baka." Akane said, smiling warmly. Ranma sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Ohayo, kawaiikune." He shot back with a tired smirk. He yawned and stretched his arms high above his head. "What time is it?" He asked Akane. The girl checked her watch and gasped.

"Ah! It's almost seven! I'm waaaaaaay behind schedule!!!" She cried, standing up quickly and heading back towards the dojo's doors. She was suddenly stopped when Ranma's calloused hand grabbed her wrist gently. She looked back at him, her eyes wide. Ranma too, was shocked by his sudden action, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I..." He stopped, looking to the side in embarrassment. "Its too cold outside!" He said lamely, his face as red as his shirt. Akane stared at him still. "Auuugh..." He muttered, letting go of her and slamming his head on the floor in embarrassment. Akane, whose face was pink, sat on her haunches in front of him.

"You- you want me to stay here?" She asked him timidly. He lifted his head to look at her; a lump was starting to form on his forehead. His eyes exuded an unreadable expression as he sighed heavily.

"You can go jog if you want..." He said quietly, making Akane smile.

"Ranma," She started, twiddling her thumbs. She heard him gulp. "If you want me to stay here... just tell me, ok?" She said. Ranma nodded and looked down at the floor. She sat there, waiting for him to recuperate.

"I-I want you to stay!" He said, a little louder than he would've liked to. Akane's blush deepened, and the earnest smile faded to a slightly open mouth. "onegai..." He muttered, his voice barely audible.

'It must've took him so much to say that...' Akane thought, her eyes soft and full of emotion. She felt her heart slam against her ribcage like a battering ram as her legs gave away. She fell lightly on her rear, her gaze unwavering.

"A-Alright then..." She stammered, her voice seeming far away. Ranma looked at her, his nerves shaky. "I'll stay." Akane said finally, with a small smile. Ranma shyly smiled back.

...Akane was getting her wish.

Kasumi wiped her brow as she cooked breakfast. The special food she was making required excess amounts of heat. "I hope they get done before everyone wakes up!" She exclaimed, her voice echoing off the walls of the kitchen. The only noise after that was the sizzling of food on the stove.

"I wonder how Akane-chan and Ranma-kun are doing..." She said quietly, rubbing her chin. Her contemplation was interrupted.

"Talking to yourself, Onee-chan?"

Nabiki stood in the doorway, the crafty smirk playing on her lips was unwavering. Kasumi's own pleasant smile didn't waver either. "Its good sometimes... being the first to wake up in the morning can get rather lonely." She said before turning back to her work.

"What's for breakfast?" Nabiki questioned, sitting down at the family table and pulling out the latest issue of "Non-No".

"If you give me one thousand yen, I'll be happy to tell you!"

Nabiki nearly choked when she heard Kasumi say those words. "Onee-chan?!" She said, her voice having a tinge of alarm in it. Kasumi looked over her shoulder and grinned playfully.

"Just kidding!" She chirped as she used a spatula to rearrange the food that she was preparing. "It's a surprise. You know today is Christmas Eve, right?" Nabiki sighed in relief and put a hand over her heart.

"You almost gave me a heart attack, Nee-chan." She mumbled. Kasumi laughed once more, and began to hum softly. "Come to think of it... Where did Ranma and Akane go?" Nabiki questioned her older sister again. Kasumi's eye twitched once before she answered.

"They're already out running." She lied. Nabiki wouldn't expect a lie from the most honest member in the family.

"Ok." Nabiki said, standing up again, her magazine tucked under her left arm. "When they come back, tell Ranma to come up to my room... I need to discuss some financial issues with him." She said, walking out of the room. "Ja ne, Onee-chan." She said.

"Ja ne, Nabiki-chan!"

.  
.

Back In The Dojo...

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"So what job did you get assigned to, Ranma?"

Akane and Ranma had moved away from the door, and were now sitting close to each other. Akane, with her legs stretched and her hands splayed out behind her, and Ranma, cross-legged with his forearms resting on top of his knees. At this moment in time, he had a confused look on his face.

"Job? What're you talking about?" He asked. Akane rolled her eyes.

"Getting the house ready for the party... Don't you remember Onee-chan talking to you about helping with anything?" She tried to jog his memory.

"Oooooh... I remember now. She said that I was supposed to help Nabiki get the decorating done!" He said, hitting his cupped palm with a fist. "Why? What did Kasumi-chan ask you to do?" He fired back, not seeing her wince involuntarily as he asked this. He was answered with nervous laughter. "Akane..." Ranma said firmly, one of his eyebrows raised.

"Alright! I'm helping Onee-chan cook!" Akane forced out. She braced herself for the oncoming tirades of insults from the pigtailed boy. All she heard though was a small rasping sound that sounded like something that was between howling wind and sand paper.

"C-C-Cook?!" Ranma spluttered, looking at her with a pale face. Akane glared at him angrily, ready to draw her mallet at any time. 'She's going to be with Kasumi, it'll be all right. She's going to be with Kasumi, it'll be all right. She's going to be with Ka-' Ranma's inner mantra was interrupted when he saw Akane's hands ball into fists.

"I... I'm not actually going to cook. I'm just going to give her the ingredients she needs." She reassured him, her voice firm. This made him sigh silently in relief. "I know I don't cook very well, but I'm trying so hard to learn! Please, just bear with me, ok?" She said quietly. Ranma felt his chest tighten and he nodded.

"It's a good first step then." He said kindly. 'I can't believe it.' He thought as he watched a smile grow on Akane's countenance, 'I can't believe we've been here this long with out so much as crazy fiancé or an assassin barging in on us...' His eyes softened and he flushed a warm crimson.

"Ranma... I-I... I think you should know something..." Akane said, her voice barely audible. Ranma involuntarily moved closer to Akane.

"Yeah?" He murmured quietly.

Akane opened her mouth to speak just as a loud crash coming from outside of the dojo echoed through out the area. The pigtailed boy and his fiancé looked at each other with shock on their faces, and then scrambled to the door. The pair looked out into what had once been new fallen snow glistening in the light of the sun. A large panda lay there now, its eyebrows furrowed in agitation. There was a hole in the wall on what looked to be Ranma and Genma's room. "Jeez, Oyaji!" Ranma cursed under his breath, running out of the dojo and over to his father. Akane looked on, a relieved smile on her face.

"Good morning, Nermia."

*

*

*

"Minna-san! Breakfast is ready!"

Kasumi stood holding a large plate of something foreign as all the rest of the Tendos, Ranma, and a still untransformed Genma filed into the living area. A sudden wind caused all of them to shudder and look at Genma angrily.

'I just rolled over in my sleep though!' Genma's sign read. Kasumi sighed heavily as she passed out plates to everyone.

"Well, I'm sure you can sleep in your room still, seeing as how you have thick fur." Nabiki said pointedly, earning a nod of agreement from the panda man. "But how do you explain Ranma? He's not going to be able to sleep in there with all the cold blowing in." She added, earning a grumble from both Ranma and Genma.

"Akane-chan," Kasumi started, a slight frown on her own face as she walked down the stairs. She slipped out when Nabiki was talking. "Where did you put that extra futon that you brought over to Sayuri-chan's house?" She asked Akane.

"I think I put it in my closet." Akane said with a small smile. A sudden chuckle from Soun made everyone look at him. It was a sinister laugh, and afterwards, he cleared his throat.

"Saotome-kun, may I talk with you for just a moment?" He said calmly. The panda nodded, suspicious of his old friend. The pair of fathers scuttled to the corner of the room, whispering to each other until Soun let out a cry of, "OH HAPPY DAY!". Genma promptly smashed his head in with a sign after this and dragged him back to the table.

'We've come to a conclusion.' Genma's sign read. He woke Soun with a douse of cold water from his own glass. For a moment, Soun cried out in surprise, but when he felt Genma nudge him gently, his mask of solemnity found itself back to his tan face.

"Ranma-kun, you need a place to stay until the hole in yours and your father's room gets fixed." He stated obviously. Ranma raised an eyebrow. Suspicion took him when he saw his father get Soun into the "Scheming Corner".

"Uh... Yeah..." He said, looking at Akane, who had a nervous look on her face. "What's it to ya?" He added on quickly. Genma grinned like a Cheshire cat (or at least the best he COULD grin, seeing as how he was in his cursed form at that moment in time) and patted his son on the back.

'We were thinking that you could bunk with Akane!' Genma held the sign up high for everyone to see. Akane flushed and shot the fathers a death glare, and Ranma followed the suit.

"TOU-SAN!!!" Akane yelled angrily. Kasumi walked in with breakfast and gasped.

"Oh, stop fighting! Onegai!" She exclaimed, setting the food on the table. The anger dissipated when everyone caught whiff of their breakfast that Christmas Eve. Ranma and Genma were on the brink of drooling their brains out when Kasumi spoke up again.

"Surprise! We're having a western breakfast today!" Kasumi said with a smile. Akane cradled her head in her hands, her elbows resting on the table as she inhaled the heavenly scent again.

"What it is?" She asked dreamily. Even Nabiki was eyeing the food with her hands nearly bending her cutlery in anticipation.

"I thought I would try and make something that sounded nice... They're called pancakes!" Kasumi said, dishing some out to everyone. Beside the large serving plate piled with the fluffy golden goodness was a bottle of maple syrup and another serving plate of bacon. As soon as all were served and Kasumi had joined them at the table, everyone ate happily.

"Ees urr shoooooooo gooooood!!!" Ranma said, his mouth full at that moment. Akane shot a disapproving glance at him, but continued eating her own plate of pancakes as mannerly as she could. Soun was crying out of happiness, praising Kasumi for making such wonderful food. Genma was doing his normal thing in the morning; trying to steal food off of his son's plate in vain... though his attempts that morning were more frequent.

.

.

.

"Ah! I'm stuffed!"

The family now sat, happy smiles on their faces. All of the food was gone, and Kasumi daintily picked all of the plates up and proceeded to the kitchen. Genma lay flat on his back, the corners of his mouth curled upwards. 'I love living here." He signed, his small, black eyes glossed over dreamily. Soun was the first to sober up out of the pair.

"Saotome-kun! Back to the task at hand!" He exclaimed. Ranma and Akane twitched as he pointed a finger at the two of them. The panda nodded and sat up.

"O-ya-jiiiiiiiii..." Ranma growled threateningly. Akane was also angry, her battle aura bathing the room in crimson fire. Soun was unaffected, but Genma pressed his body up against the wall, his paw flailing frantically for the shoji.

"Both of you..." Soun murmured, his battle aura oozing out in deep purple. Genma was panicking now, making loud panda noises as his arms moved faster than they ever had before. He screamed in terror as Soun went oni.

"YOOOOOOU WILL SLEEEEEP IN AKAAAAAAAAANEEEE'S ROOM, AND YOOOOOOOOOU WILL LIIIIIIIIKE IT!" He thundered, making the engaged couple shriek in fear and back away. Nabiki sat, watching all of this with mild interest.

"Tou-san, calm down. Your blood pressure is going to sky rocket." She said calmly, stretching in a very cat-like fashion before walking out of the room. She passed Kasumi on her way out. "Onee-chan, could you do us all a favor and calm Otou-san down?" The businesswoman implored her older sister. Kasumi nodded.

"Tou-san," Kasumi asked, walking over to her father with a bottle of sake and two cups. "Why don't you and ojisan play a bit of shogi before you start on your jobs?" She smiled angelically as Soun's oni-like aura faded away. The fathers both smiled dazedly and took the sake and drifted off to their shogi board.

"That was close." Ranma said, sighing heavily in relief. Akane nodded in agreement. Kasumi clucked her tongue at the both of them.

"Akane-chan, Ranma-kun... can't you just sleep together for a few nights? At least until the repairmen fix the hole in the guest room." Kasumi asked. The duo's faces had suddenly gone sour. "Now before you two say anything, let me just ask you..." She turned to Ranma, "Would you rather sleep outside in a tent? You can't sleep in the dojo, because that's where we're having the party."

Ranma paused for a moment. Of course he'd rather sleep in Akane's room! A tent in the winter would make him miserable! Akane though... She would never allow him to stay in her room. She would most likely have a root canal before letting Ranma sleep in the same room as her!

"Alright."

Ranma's thoughts were cut off, and he turned to stare at Akane with eyes the size of dinner platters. Akane closed her eyes and sighed through her nose. "**Only** until the repair men fix the hole in your wall though, ok?" She stated. The shock on Ranma's face melted away to a satiric expression.

"Am I really that much of a parasite to you?" He asked casually.

"Oh noooo, Ranma. Not at all!" Akane quipped. She stood from her seat and walked over to Kasumi. "Ne, Onee-chan, when are we going to start cooking?" She asked. Kasumi smiled at her sister.

"Whenever you're ready." She said kindly. Akane face twisted into a look of grim determination.

"I'm ready!" She exclaimed bravely. Kasumi clapped her hands together happily and beckoned the shorthaired girl towards the kitchen.

When the sisters had left the room, Ranma was alone with his thoughts. He frowned deeply and cracked his knuckles.

"So you think I'm a parasite?" Ranma muttered under his breath. "I'll show you a parasite!"

This day would definitely be interesting... no doubt about that.

TSUZUKU

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Augh! Sorry for the OOCness... PLEASE, R+R!


End file.
